Tomato-Lentil Salad With Spicy Tahini

By Ali Slagle

Published July 20, 2026

  • Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
25 min
Rating
5(46)
Comments
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This satisfying, sweet and spicy tomato salad is vegan, no-cook and rich in fiber and protein to boot. Tomato chunks and cooked lentils marinate in lemon juice, olive oil and salt, which seasons the lentils and concentrates the tomato flavor. A heap of sweet basil is stirred in — think of it as the salad’s leafy green — and a swirl of two-ingredient tahini-chile sauce adds pockets of heat, nuttiness and creaminess. Feel free to expand the salad (feta, cucumbers and sliced toasted almonds would all be welcome) or serve with grilled protein, salad greens, flatbread or toast. If you’re heat-averse, try this balsamic tahini sauce instead.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans lentils, drained, rinsed and shaken dry (or 3 cups cooked green or black lentils from 1 ½ cups dry lentils)

  • 1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes (or 2 pints cherry tomatoes), cut into bite-size pieces

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

  • Salt

  • ¼ cup stirred tahini

  • 1 tablespoon chile crisp, harissa or another chile paste, plus more to taste

  • 1 ½ loosely packed cups basil leaves, torn 

  • Toasted sesame seeds, for serving 

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (1 to 4 servings)

55 grams carbs; 515 calories; 14 grams monosaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 25 grams fat; 21 grams fiber; 1005 milligrams sodium; 24 grams protein; 9 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, combine the lentils, tomatoes, oil, lemon juice and a big pinch of salt. Stir to combine. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, stir together the tahini and chili crisp. Add cold water until pourable, then taste and add more chile crisp and salt until the sauce is a little too spicy. (It will be tamed by the lentils.)

    1. Step 2

      Stir the basil gently into the salad. Serve the salad drizzled with the tahini sauce and showered with sesame seeds. Season to taste with salt.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
46 user ratings
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Comments

Marci B

I saw this & decided it would be a great way to use up tomatoes my neighbor grew & gave to us. Alas-I was missing lentils (used chickpeas), fresh basil (used fresh dill), and chili crisp/ harissa (used sriracha) and it was delicious. I added some grilled halloumi to up the protein. Look forward to trying as written next time!

batbx1

I saw this but i was missing all the ingredients so i ate pizza

Greg

I don't find it helpful when people list how they made the dish by substituting for basically every ingredient it has. A suggestion for a substitution or minor addition is fine, but not an entirely whole new reciple.

Allison

This worked great with Trader Joe’s refrigerated lentils, I just cut back on the salt/oil. Otherwise followed the recipe and the suggestion to add cucumber. Delicious! For leftovers next time I would keep the tahini on the side and only dress what I’m going to eat right away.

Dee

I agree with others who followed this recipe carefully and found it mushy. Which was disappointing, since I had fresh — sweet and tasty but not overripe — tomatoes and amazingly fragrant basil from the farmers market. I added roasted peanuts. The crunch/salt helped, but still a disappointment overall. Won’t make it again any time soon.

AnnR

Though I love tahini on many things, I did not like it on the lentils. I ended up adding some Dijon mustard to the lemon and olive oil along with a dash of Liquid Aminos. Much better for my taste buds!

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